Secrets
by FanOfHan
Summary: It's the GFFA's eqivalent of April Fool's day, and Madine has a surprise for everyone. Unfortuantely, Madine either doesn't consider the consequences of his actions, or he doesn't care.
1. Chapter 1

This story hereis being written as I write the third installment of my '**Forgotten Time'** trilogy, which I am now able to begin completing thanks to the brilliant Indeh. Thanks, sweetie!

------

Supposed to be there for a mission brief, but now aware she was not, but only lured here by thinking she was, Leia ran quickly through the hangar, trying to avoid the attention of any of Rogue Squadron, for it seemed it was they who were taking today seriously. Not that nobody else found it funny. Quite the contrary, in fact. Everyone seemed to be taking today as a chance to relax and have some fun. The only condition was that no one feign any medical problems.

After all, despite it being the 1st today, there were some rules. Not crying 'wild canoid' was one of them. As long as no-one was hurt or distracted anyone doing important work, Fourth Month Fool's day was being permitted by Rieekan (much to Madine's chagrin).

But there was one flaw to this ingenious plan to boost morale. At the moment, Rogue Squadron was bored.

Bored, that is, up until the point they saw Leia trying to get to the other side of the hangar. Then, with a collective yell, they all produced snowballs. Blast Hoth for providing them with ammunition!

Leia ran, but, alas, her legs were far shorter than theirs and she soon found them gaining.

She couldn't even see where she was going; the crates around her were too high, and it was not long before she was trapped, her back to a metal hull. There was no way she could go around it; the ship was simply too big and, even as she turned to go back the way she'd come, she saw Wedge and Jansen already following.

Within a couple of seconds, the rest of Rogue Squadron were lined up.

"Ready," said Wedge.

"Aim," Jansen joined.

But, as the rest of the Rogues yelled "fire", Leia was hurtling backwards, suddenly surrounded by strength and warmth and a metal wall hissed up in front of her. A series of loud thumping noises ensued as Rogue Squadron's snowballs hit the outside of this ship's hull and then muffled cries of indignation followed soon after.

She listened for a moment as a disgruntled Rogue Squadron tried get into this haven but then gave up, laughing.

"I'm sure she'll have a better time with you than she will with us," said Wedge's voice.

"What?" she said to herself, frowning.

"I guess they think you'll like it better in here," said a voice behind her, smooth, low and utterly delicious, were it not for the fact that this voice belonged to the someone she definitely didn't want to be around today.

"Han!" she said, turning to face her savior.

"Sounds like I grabbed you just in time, huh, Princess?"

She tried to smile, but instead she found herself looking him up and down and then around. He was wearing black pants with yellow stripes, tall black boots and his white shirt, rolled up at the sleeves. Funny how she noticed all that.

He laughed, a silken, soft, rich rumble, as his eyes sparkled.

"Relax, Princess," he said gently. "I'm not up for this today."

She raised an eyebrow but he leant down toward her bringing his face level with hers as he grasped her shoulders, and shook his head.

"No, really, I promise."

For a moment, all time stood still. Her heart stopped beating, her lungs refused to draw breath. And yet, somehow her pulse was thundering in her ears and she could smell him. She had never taken the time to do that before. There was grease and oil, there was something that could've been aftershave, there was the smell of whatever spicy food he had cooked and eaten for breakfast and there was the musk of his sweat and his skin. And it smelled so wonderfully warm, so amazingly secure. She just wanted to stand there and breathe him in. His eyes were staring into hers so intently that she almost had to look away. But then, she couldn't bring herself to do it. His skin was hot on her shoulders, his hands, so big on her body. She could feel the heat radiating off his chest. And when she saw the smooth, tanned line of his clavicle beneath the open collar of his shirt, she realized suddenly – strangely – that she wanted to know what his skin would taste like.

"Princess? You feelin' alright?"

Leia suddenly realized she was staring. And that Han seemed truly concerned.

"Uh," she said, hiding her awe with an expression of disbelief. "You, not out to get me on Fourth month Fool's day?"

Han shrugged and moved away and Leia was suddenly disappointed.

"Call me old fashioned but I prefer to play jokes when people _aren't_ expecting it. More fun that way."

"What?" Leia asked as she watched him walk away.

"I said today is the day I _don't_ play tricks. Kaff?"

He was a few more paces away when he realized she wasn't following him.

"Come on."

He put one hand on his hip.

"Leia, I'm not gonna get you. Come on."

Warily, she followed him. She sat at the galley table. She even drank the kaff he offered her (after she made sure he'd taken a good mouthful himself to prove his innocence). Eventually, he said,

"Well, Your Worship. It's probably safe outside."

"Mmm," she agreed, and stood to leave.

"Why don't I walk you to the ramp, just in case?"

It was as Han suspected. Rogue Squadron had given up and were now snowballing each other. But as Han moved to say goodbye to Leia and retreat back into the Millennium Falcon, the comm. system whined overhead and Madine's voice, so smug it made Han shiver, began to speak. At first, they paid no attention, but then the words caught their attention.

"…And in twenty minutes there will be a surprise in the mess hall. Happy Fourth Month fool's day."

Leia glanced at Han and saw the same expression. The one that said, 'Uh-oh. Madine's way too happy.'

"I don't know about you," Han muttered as he tugged on his blue jacket – the sexy one with the collar and the pockets and the snug fitting sleeves and – Leia shook herself out of it, "but I've got a bad feeling about this."

Leia nodded.

"I know what you mean," she answered.

"Well, Princess," he said, extending his arm. "Care to join me?"

Once more, Leia hesitated, wary of any ruse he might have in store for her but Han rolled his eyes and grinned.

"Leia, for Kest's sake!"

With a glance that wasn't quite disapproving, she took his arm and they set off together toward the mess.

As it was on the other side of the base, they arrived at the mess hall just as Madine was starting his little show.

Han moved over and stood next to Rieekan, Leia still on his arm.

"What's goin' on?" he whispered in Rieekan's ear as Madine wittered.

Rieekan shook his head.

"I don't know. We're as much in the dark as you and the rest of the base."

"I thought he hated Fourth Month Fool's day," Leia put in.

"Us, too!" said Rieekan and Han together.

"And now," Madine smirked, "I think you'll agree that this little trick is the most surprising of today."

"Joke's on you, Madine," said a voice from somewhere near the front. "It's past twelve."

There was a ripple of laughter.

"Oh, I think not, Ferris," Madine replied, and the tone of his voice, the extent of the coldness, the heartlessness, silenced everyone.

Madine looked around, still smirking.

"I'm not sure how many of you trust your friends without thinking," he said. "I don't know how many of you keep many friends close."

His gaze seemed to pierce everyone.

"But I know at least two of you, other than myself, familiar with Cadet 13729805."

Everyone turned to each other and muttered their puzzlement.

Almost everyone.

When Leia turned to question Han, she noticed that both he and Rieekan had gone sheet white.

"No!" Han whispered, and the sound, without her being able to say why, made the hair on the back of Leia's neck stand on end.

"Han…" Rieekan said, reaching out, trying in vain to stop him.

"No, Madine," Han said, his voice loud, harsh.

But it was too late.

'_You're aware this Court Marshall has been recorded?'_

The question was being asked through the speakers before Han finished, and then a voice equal to Han's tone but higher, less rough, rumbled through the mess hall.

'_Yes.'_

The reply was insolent, angry. But it was also weak.

'_And you're aware of the charges being brought against you?'_

There was a short laugh over the speakers following the question and it sounded as though the young man who made the sound had wasted a lot of energy he didn't have to do it.

'_This courtroom must also hear a list of the charges.'_

'_First,' _said a new voice, '_deliberate and willful insubordination: Three counts. Second; Striking an officer: Two counts.'_

There was a cry of indignation from the man being accused – the young man whose voice reminded Leia of Han's.

'_Third,_' said the man, undeterred, _'interfering with an official interrogation: One count. Fourth; threatening a superior officer: Two counts. Fifth; possession of glitterstim phials: Five counts. Sixth; endangering the lives of two thousand comrades.'_

The first voice spoke again.

'_You have heard the charges brought against you. Do you understand them?'_

'_Yes,' _came the reply, but then there was a sudden clatter and an _'ouf!'_

'_Show some respect you miserable Kach'te!' _said another voice, harsh and uncaring.

There was a short pause, a groan of pain and then an answer.

'_Yes Sir.'_

The words were spoken like a curse.

'_And you are aware that this court has come to a decision?'_

'_Yes.'_

More clattering and another exclamation.

'_Sir.'_

There was rustling of papers and murmuring in the background. Leia strained to hear it for the sound became momentarily garbled.

'Lieutenant-Commander…number…298…5… is my duty…inform you that this court has come to a decision: We find you guilty of all charges and, therefore, are to be taken from this place and dishonorably discharged.'

'Not even allowed a chance to defend himself,' Leia thought to herself.

There was the sound of a gavel being banged on wood and then the murmuring grew to full blown chatter, but Madine changed the track.

"Audio only presents a use for the imagination. But perhaps you would like to see this unfortunate man?"

Now there was murmuring here in the mess hall, too.

"I'll take that as a yes," Madine smiled, and signaled to someone at the back of the room.

The projector that resided in the wall suddenly whirred to life and, though the image was small and grainy, she could just make out what was going on. The film seemed to have been shot from a great distance.

This was obviously an event at the Imperial Navy Headquarters on…Corellia by the looks of things. Ah, then Han must know the man who was being court marshaled.

The troops were all lined up in the square and, at the front, there were three men. The first was reading aloud from a list. The second was standing completely still, and the third was stripping all the rank and insignia from the second's tunic before stripping him of that, too, and his belt, leaving him in his trousers and a black, short sleeved undershirt. The second man then took – and snapped – the man's ceremonial saber.

Leia winced as the second man received a stinging slap to his left cheek that snapped his head around, and was then spat at – no, spat on – by the third. But he never moved, never showed any emotion; she could tell from his stance even if she could not make out the faces.

But once more, Madine did not allow their thirst for information to be quenched.

Instead, he changed the image to two people fencing.

"You see?" he said as one of the men went down and the other trapped him. "Such a promising start."

As the loser nodded acquiescence and removed his mask before accepting the winner's hand, Leia noticed the only thing she could about the, as yet, faceless victor. His fantastic physique.

But again, Madine changed the footage before the winner removed his mask and revealed his face.

"A Brilliant pilot…" Madine continued, showing them footage of practice maneuvers.

Leia watched as the TIE fighter executed rolls and banks and a wealth of other tricks she had rarely ever seen performed.

"An excellent marksman…"

Footage of twelve blaster bolts all hitting their mark as a shadowy figure hurtled around the course. There was something disturbingly familiar about the way the man moved.

"And surprisingly," Madine said matter-of-factly, "a wonderful musician."

There was footage, shot from the back of a hall, of a man, the same man, playing the piano expertly, and crooning the lyrics wonderfully, too. Leia thought she recognized the voice. But, yet again, just as the shot was clear enough to reveal anything, Madine changed the image.

Now there were several young officers laughing and joking around a room full of beds, some undressing, some dressing, some already asleep, some already in full uniform. The people around Leia looked about uncomfortably: Something was wrong here.

"But unfortunately," Madine said as the camera zoomed in on the back of a particular young man, whose hair fell below his gray cap, "his attitude was too poor."

"_Hey, at least turn around! _" said the man using the 'corder.

"Something which hasn't changed to this day, now, has it?" Madine asked, his voice far too delighted.

And Echo Base suddenly found out why. Every man and woman in the mess hall froze as the man in shot turned around. His dark hair was longer than it should have been, probably through no fault of his own. His hair likely as not just grew faster than most people's, untended to because haircuts were scheduled events in the Navy. But his familiar honeyed-hazel eyes sparkled as his gaze fixed on something behind camera, the man filming, perhaps? The corner of his mouth, with full lips below a crooked nose, turned up at their right hand side, and, as he spoke, Leia heard a rumble she recognized.

"_Mako,_" the Lieutenant-Commander Han Solo on the screen said amusedly. "_Turn that thing off! _"


	2. Chapter 2

Han had fled the mess hall as soon as Madine turned off the projector and stared at him. Then, as if directed by him, everyone else had turned to look at Han.

Now he was walking quickly through the corridors, without being able to say where he was going. He was probably going back toward the Falcon.

The Falcon. Yeah. Then he'd be safe. Chewie'd look after him.

As he walked he shook his head. He must be really angry – his vision was blurred. But no doubt the rest of the base were out to get him now. Gods Dammit! Blast the Empire for everything, including recording the court marshal! Blast the Rebellion for making him care! And Blast Madine for ruining his life!

Again!

--

Leia's ears were burning. So were her cheeks. And her neck. And her small hands were clenching into fists and unclenching again repeatedly, fingernails digging into her palm.

She was just about to Surge forward and yell at Madine when someone beat her to it. Leia was surprised to see that it was Wes Janson.

"YOU BASTARD!" he yelled and threw himself at Madine.

Only the fact that Hobbie grabbed the back of his jacket that he didn't manage a good solid right hook to Madine's traitorous face.

"Easy, Wes," Hobbie said darkly. "Don't put yourself out for this Chu'ell."

Janson refused to give in until Hobbie and Tycho dragged him away, still yelling curses. But no-one else had made a sound.

Madine gave a nonchalant shrug and stepped of the stage, through the stunned crowd and made his way toward the doors at the back. A stunned murmuring grew in volume in his wake, but Leia followed him, and Rieekan followed her.

"Madine!" She said as she ran after him in the corridor.

He turned, but did not slow.

"Yes, Princess?"

She caught up.

"How dare you!"

Madine pretended to look innocent.

"Whatever do you mean?" he asked.

"You know damned well what I mean!" she hissed, ignoring Rieekan's sudden comforting hand on her arm.

"I assure you I have no idea what you're talking about."

She grabbed the shoulder of his jacket and spun him about.

"How can you do this to Han?"

"Ah," Madine said, closing his eyes and nodding. "Captain Solo."

"Yes, Captain Solo," she spat. "And you know it!"

"I'm sorry, Your Highness, I'm a trifle busy. You could stop by my quarters later and discuss this in greater detail then…"

She stood in his path and he stopped, amazed at the anger he saw in her face.

"How dare you make this choice for him! How dare you invade his privacy like this! This was not your place, Crix, and don't even pretend that it was."

She lowered her voice to a whisper.

"Han is a good man, he's a good pilot, a good gunner, he's fantastic for morale. Are you trying to sink us all? What right have you to turn the base against him? You want us to win, and yet you make sure no-one is ever going to trust a newcomer again! Or perhaps that was your plan? Maybe you're the traitorous one!"

"If these people are shallow, Your Highness, it has nothing to do with me."

Rieekan grasped her shoulders but she shrugged him off.

"How can you- How dare you! How do you live with yourself? What is it he's done to you that you could hate him so much?"

Madine smirked.

"You heard the charges for yourself, a long with everyone else."

"He was under your command," she nodded, a manic smile settling across her features. Actually, it was more like a canoid baring its teeth.

"Yes. And I saw to it that he was not."

For a moment, her expression was paralyzed in shock. Then she turned so red she was almost purple.

"_You_ had him court marshaled!"

"Would you rather I'd had him killed?"

"And you wouldn't care even if you had. Would you?"

Madine shrugged.

"He was a pain in the Navy's backside. Another insubordinate young officer. I had him dealt with. I thought the base had a right to know his past."

"You thought you'd do well if you presented him in a different light. I think you underestimate these people. I don't believe for a moment that any of the charges were true."

Madine cocked his head.

"No? You just ask him. But I'd be careful if I were you. Men like him never change. Before you know it he'll have you trapped up against a wall just for a bit of fun-"

She slapped him. Hard.

"You bastard," she whispered.

Then she stormed off the way she'd come.

Madine lifted a hand to his face and stretched his jaw.

"Did you see that, Carlist? She hit me."

Rieekan stared at him a moment.

"I'm sorry, Crix. I was looking the other way."

Then he walked past Madine and followed Leia.

Madine shook his head. Then he chuckled to himself. Today was going just right.

--

"Chewie!"

The tone of Han's voice made Chewie turn around immediately. Han was very pale and was moving very quickly.

"/Little one-/"

"Chewie, are you nearly done?"

"/What/"

As Han approached, Chewie could see the sweat on his forehead, smell the fear in his blood.

"/What has happened/"

Han looked up at him as he reached him, silent for a moment, eyes wide and pleading.

"Chewie, he told them! He _told_ them, Chewie!"

"/Little One/" Chewie said, holding him to keep him still, but Han still fidgeted nervously. "/What did Who tell Whom/"

"Madine!"

Chewie's fur bristled at the name anyway.

"/What has he done/"

"Chewie, he told them! He _told_ them, Chewie!"

"/Little One/" Chewie said, holding him to keep him still, but Han still fidgeted nervously. "/What did Who tell Whom/"

"Madine!"

Chewie's fur bristled at the name anyway.

"/What has he done/"

Han stared at him.

"He told them I was in the Navy, Chewie! He…_told_ the whole base…"

Chewie shook his head sorrowfully.

"/Then what do you wish to do/"

Han glanced around the vast icy hangar.

"Put her back together, Chewie. We're outta here."

--

Leia walked back into the mess hall to find that everyone was still there, waiting. Apparently, they were waiting for her, their expectant faxes turned toward her.

She looked at them, then made her way to the front of the hall.

Once there, she touched her hands to the table in front of her.

Then she looked up.

"I have talked to General Madine," she said stiffly, "about this prank."

There was a small amount of murmuring.

"And," she continued, "I have nothing to say but this: General Madine was, too, in the Navy, but he chose to tell you. As was General Dodonna, but he chose also to make this known. And, like Captain Solo, they are no longer in Imperial Service. The only difference is that Captain Solo chose to keep his past private. This was not deceit, on his part at least: No-one but I had asked of his past and there are few who already know of it: General Rieekan and I were aware of his service to the Empire, as, quite obviously, was Madine. So, if blame is to be apportioned, it should be to myself, General Rieekan, and Madine. "

She scanned the room.

"Captain Solo is a brilliant strategist, an intensely skilled marksman and a excellent pilot, as are many of you, and all of you are valued. I ask you now; is it worth the ruining of friendships, both new and old, because of something that happened years before you met?"

The silence was painful.

"I resolve to allow you to make your own decisions on this matter, bearing in mind the type of men we are considering."

She then stepped down and left the mess hall. Where would Han go?

Well that was blatantly obvious.


	3. Chapter 3

"Alright! Now try!"

Leia recognized the phrase even before she saw who was yelling it. Han and Chewie were trying to fix the Falcon. And if they were trying to fix her, they were going to use her.

"Han!" she called, clear across the hangar.

Every single person in there stopped and looked at her, then at Han. Her steady pace faltered a moment but she kept going. She noticed the look on his face.

"Han, I need to talk to you!"

Chewie wuffled something to his partner, but Han stood up and thrust a forefinger in the Wookiee's direction.

"Shut up!" he said loudly, and bent to continue his work with the microfuser.

Leia winced at his harsh words to his best friend but continued nonetheless.

"Han, please?"

Some of the technicians glanced at each other before returning to their watch on the Princess and Captain Solo.

He shot her a murderous glare and jumped down for the hull of the Falcon – an impressive distance to say the least – before he punched the lock to his ship and disappeared inside. As the ramp began to close again, she ran toward it and only just managed to get inside before it closed.

"What are you doing?"

Han's voice, so harsh it startled her, questioned her without any hint of friendly concern.

"I just want to talk to you."

Han walked away without helping her up.

"What is there to talk about, Princess?" he asked. "I think the situation's pretty clear."

"But Han-"

"See why I never liked him?"

Leia frowned as she stood. Madine? Of course Madine.

"Han-"

"And I'll bet you believed him?"

"If you think that, then you obviously don't know me as well as I thought."

His expression seemed to soften for a moment, but then the hardened mask was back in place.

"So go on, then. Ask me. Isn't that why you're here?"

Again she was puzzled.

"What?"

"Madine? The charges? Go on. Ask me if they're true."

When she didn't speak, he sneered.

" 'First,' " he said, " 'deliberate and willful insubordination: Three counts.' All true. And you know what? The newest count was a _year_ old at the time of that trial."

He took a step toward the holochess table.

" 'Second; Striking an officer. Two counts,' " and, at this, he stared at her. "Bullshit. I'd be shot for that."

She watched him shudder before he continued and he seemed to pale.

" 'Third; interfering with an official interrogation: One count.' In other words, saving a Wookiee beaten to within an inch of his life because he was bound so tightly he couldn't move simply for sport. Alright. Guilty.

Leia swallowed hard. So that was what had happened.

" 'Fourth; threatening a superior officer: Two counts.' How else was I supposed to get Chewie outta there?"

She didn't say anything.

"And as for the drugs and the endangerment of the base, that's as much bullshit as striking an officer."

He spread his hands.

"So are you happy now? Are you gonna leave?"

She stared at him a moment longer.

"I slapped Madine. And Rieekan didn't rebuke me for it. And I think you ought to know that-"

"That it's only _most_ of the base who wants my ass, not all of it?"

((_A/N: Actually, I'd quite like Han's ass, as well…))_

"Han!" she said exasperatedly, "Please, listen to me. I've addressed the mess hall, they-"

"Leia, can you just stop? Please? Just…You can't make everything right, this time, okay? So just stop trying."

She narrowed her eyes as he turned away but she held back from making some cutting remark. He was down already. She wasn't going to kick him.

"I think you better go," he said quietly.

His voice sounded rough and strained. She took a step toward him and touched a hand on his shoulder.

"Han…"

"Now."

She drew her hand away and stared at his back for a long moment. When it was obvious that he wasn't going to turn around, she left.

She heard footsteps on the metal behind her and so she did not close the ramp, but when she turned to watch him clamber back up the falcon's hull with an assortment of wrenches slung about his waist he never even glanced at her.

--

Han waited until he was sure she'd turned away before he looked after her. He didn't want to yell at her, but if she hated him, it would be all the more easy to leave. Besides, he didn't care what she thought anyway. Or the kid. Or Rieekan. And if the rest of the base hated him what did it matter?

"You wish," he muttered.

Chewie rumbled inquisitively.

"Nothin', Pal, nothin'."

He watched her walk across the hangar but, as she got about halfway, something caught his eye.

With a bellowed curse, he catapulted himself from the Falcon and hurtled towards Leia.

--

Leia heard the curse and turned to face the Falcon again to see Han racing toward her, his face the absolute epitome of determination. It was only as he neared her that she heard the bloodcurdling scream of metal on metal above her head. She looked up as every hair on her body stood on end and saw the machinery of one of the tunnel diggers swinging down to crush her. And she couldn't move to save her life.

The only thing she was truly aware of, besides her impending death, was a sharp pain in her legs and her world tipping sideways. Then there was blackness.

--

Han stumbled on a scattered toolkit as he neared the Princess, who was still immobile with fear. He slammed into the ground just before he reached her, but he managed to catch her legs.

..--..--..

The first thing she noticed was that she was very cold. And her head and her legs were hurting. She opened here eyes and was almost blinded by the bright whiteness there to greet her. For one fleeting moment, she thought she had died and was surrounded by the white light many claimed to see. Then she realized she was lying on the ice in a hangar on their most recent rebel base.

Why was she on the floor?

Memories flashed through her mind, snowballs, kaff, Madine, the Falcon…

The digger…

Han!

She sat up quickly, swaying from the dizziness, and squinted, trying to get her eyes to obey her wishes. And then she saw it.

The digger had landed exactly where she would have been and the fixtures on the top were cut, not snapped or worn. But this was not what had her attention.

There, on the ice, with the ground about him a nauseating crimson, hands clutched, white knuckled, about the pneumatic spike that had impaled him, pinning him to the floor like some grotesquely skewered specimen, lay Han Solo.


	4. Chapter 4

Leia raced towards him, numbly aware that the rest of the hangar was completely silent.

She slammed onto her knees beside him and flinched when he looked at her, honeyed-hazel eyes wide in disbelief and pain. His hands were still clutched about the sheer metal that was protruding from his abdomen and staining his shirt and she found herself kneeling in his blood. She almost couldn't believe what she was seeing, it seemed so surreal. There was even blood on the metal he held where the blood had spattered on impact.

He was trembling, trying to draw breaths, making odd gurgling sounds as the air entered his lungs. His mouth was drawn into a thin, tight, colourless line and he stared up at her with such a heart-wrenching expression of fear that she'd never seen on his face before.

"…L-Leia…" he managed, his feet scrabbling weakly as he tried, like a trapped animal, to get away from the pain.

He kept glancing down at the spike and his stomach as though they weren't a part of him, then back at her as though she could do something about it.

"…Hurts…"

"I know," she soothed, stroking his hair off his forehead, "I know. Try and lie still."

Then she looked up.

Chewie was hurling himself towards them, bellowing, but no-one else was coming to help.

Everyone else in the hangar was staring, completely silent. For a moment, she stared back at them. Then she cried,

"DON'T JUST STAND THERE! GET A MEDIC!"

For a second, one that seemed to drag out for eternity, there was still no movement. And then someone moved and left.

One of Han's hands flailed helplessly, and she took it, his palm smearing blood across hers. She held it tight, terrified as she realised how cold it was, and she continued stroking his hair with the her free hand.

"…Please, Leia…"

"Shh, try to lie still, Han."

He whimpered softly and Chewie slipped a blanket beneath his head simply to stop him losing any more body heat.

Leia looked up to see where the medical crew was. She wished Luke were here. But he was still in the medcenter, recovering from his ordeal with the Wampa. Surely it could not be that Han had saved Luke from the cruel Hoth snow only to fall victim to a fatal accident. No, there must still be a way to save him – there Must.

Although she could not see how. The pool of blood around him was growing , soaking her knees, reaching towards the people looking on. "Gods, Han." She whispered. "You shouldn't have done this."

"No," he wailed, "don't…don't say that…."

"Shh," she said. "Don't talk. Don't move. Just hold on."

"Princess!" A voice from across the hangar.

Leia looked up and felt incredible relief as she saw the medical team making their way across the hangar. Chewie was wuffling mournfully to his friend and, from what Leia knew of Chewie's language, he was trying to reassure him.

"It's alright, Princess," said the first man, Tarrant. "We'll take care of him."

Leia made as if to let go of Han's hand but he jerked suddenly.

"No!" he said. "No!"

"It's alright, " she whispered. "I'm not going anywhere. I just have to move so they can get to you."

He looked up at her with wide eyes, blood trickling down his cheek from between lips that were too pale.

"Don't…don't go…"

"I'm not," she said, shuffling out of the way of the medics, leaving smears of blood as she moved. "I'm staying right here."

Han's grip on her hand slackened, then tightened as Tarrant examined the horrendous mess before him.

"Kest," Tarrant muttered. "This is bad."

"You've got to be able to help him," Leia whispered. "You have to."

"He's not paralyzed," said Tarrant as the medical team set themselves up. They would have to forego the privacy screen. There was just no time. "There's that much at least, although I don't hold much hope for him. There's so much damage. We can't pull this thing out of him yet, he'll bleed out in seconds."

He looked around.

"We'll have to cut it or we'll never move him."

Leia swallowed hard. Han was still holding onto her but he was shaking uncontrollably, his hands icy cold. He was going into shock.

"Leia…"

"Han?" she said anxiously – there was a change in his voice.

"Leia…"

He was calling the name now, as if she weren't there anymore.

"Please…"

"Han? Han, can you hear me?"

"Ah! Leia!"

"Han, no," she whispered. "Stay with me, come on."

His head rocked to the side and he appeared to suddenly be watching the Falcon. And then he gasped.

"No," he whispered. "No!"

His body moved as though he were trying to _get away_ from the Falcon.

"Han," Leia said. "What is it?"

"No! You're dead…You…_can't_ be…"

She watched him a moment and saw, to her horror that he seemed to relax even as he spoke.

"Th-This is it, then? I'm…dying? Y-You've…come for me?" he whispered, speaking to thin air.

Leia shook her head. Either he was hallucinating or…worse, he was seeing something real.

"Han," Leia said, but he shook his head.

"Then why are…you here?"

Leia looked at Chewie. Who did Han think he could see?

"Help me..?" he continued. "How..?"

There were a few more seconds of silence, filled only by the sound of the medical team preparing to cut the spike.

"You can't…help me…" Han murmured weakly. "I'm not…like Luke…I don't have…that power…"

Leia stared at him, disbelieving. Power? Did he mean the Force?

"Han," she said desperately. "Who do you see?"

"Right," said Tarrant, holding out a hand for the cutter that one of the others had found. "This cutter's gonna vibrate the metal. So it's gonna hurt, alright?"

Leia nodded.

"Just so you know what to expect."

But then she looked back to Han. He stretched his hand out across the hangar, toward whomever or whatever it was he could see.

"Ready?" asked Tarrant.

The medical officers nodded their affirmation.

But what Han said next changed everything.

His face grew desperate, he strained to reach out and then he gasped again.

"Ben…." he groaned. "Ben…"

"What!" Leia whispered.

"…Please, Kenobi…"

But Tarrant knew he didn't have time to let the others listen to Han. Instead he started the cutter and pressed it to the spike, just above Han's stomach.

Han screamed.

His head lifted from the blanket and jerked forward and he squeezed her hand, and then he screamed again.

Then his head fell back to the ice and he gave a few desperate gasps, then resumed the screaming. Everyone in the hangar was staring in horror, transfixed.

When Tarrant finally cut through the metal, Han was gasping raggedly.

"Ben…" he groaned again, then coughed, spattering his face with blood.

"Ready?" asked Tarrant.

"What?" Leia asked.

"I've got to cut the back off the spike, too. We're going to have to weaken the ice to get the end of the spike out."

"Oh," Leia whispered.

Tarrant turned his attention to attempting to partially melt the ice on which Han lay impaled.

"Ready? Asked Tarrant.

The medical team nodded.

Leia held onto Han's hand and squeezed. This was going to get worse before it got better.


End file.
